Good Sermon, Father

Dear Father X,

Every Sunday, as we walk out the door, we shake your hand and say, “Good sermon, Father.” We’re not lying. We’re usually fairly satisfied with what you have to say, but no one is perfect. Even Kobe Bryant misses the occasional easy layup.

You studied preaching in seminary, and presumably your professors gave you tips. We wonder, though, if you know what the average person in the pew is looking for in a homily. Maybe you’d appreciate some feedback. If so, here are some thoughts for your consideration.

First off, your sermon is very important to us. We know that we should read the Bible on our own and maybe participate in a prayer or study group. That’s not possible right now, though, so your homily is basically all the religious instruction we get. Please make it your priority. We understand that you have many demands on your time, but we’re not asking for a 30-minute Billy Graham production. The Vatican says a homily should be about eight minutes long, and that sounds good to us.

One reason we don’t read the Bible on our own is that some passages are confusing. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree for not producing fruit when it wasn’t the season for fruit? Why did Paul send the runaway slave back to his owner? Isn’t slavery wrong?

So, if the Sunday lessons include a difficult passage, please help us understand it. We don’t need a long history lesson, but we appreciate a little background. John 10 makes so much more sense now that you’ve explained how shepherds made a circle of stones, led the sheep inside and lay across the opening to protect them through the night. That is just like Jesus laying down his life for us. Thanks.

Many books on how to give a speech suggest opening with a joke. That’s not necessary, especially if you don’t normally crack jokes. On the other hand, people always like stories. That’s probably why Jesus told so many. If you’ve got a good story that illustrates your point, we’d love to hear it.

Some priests claim that Protestant ministers have the edge in storytelling because they’re usually married with children. True, but you grew up in a home with parents and siblings. You went to school. You have friends and favorite sports teams. Surely you’ve seen how God acts in everyday circumstances. Tell us about that.

The story doesn’t have to be about you. It can be something you saw on TV or overheard while shopping. For example, Pope Francis recently preached on Luke 24 (the road to Emmaus). He said some people spend so much time complaining about life’s disappointments that they don’t notice Jesus is walking beside them. That’s a clear, simple illustration of how a Scripture passage applies to our everyday life.

We like knowing something about your personal faith, but spare us your pet peeves. Don’t make every homily about the evils of abortion or how we should all tithe. Don’t scold us. Don’t grumble about the people who don’t come to church. We’re here, aren’t we?

Theology is important, but, honestly, we spend very little time pondering the Trinity or the mystery of transubstantiation. Mostly, we worry about our kids, our parents and our jobs. We struggle to forgive those who have hurt us. We wonder why the world is such a mess. We feel guilty that we don’t do more for others. Show us how Christ can help us with these issues right now, and we’ll bless your name. Who knows? We might even tithe.

Respectfully,
Your Parishioners

Source

HT

 

The Vatican Will Not Be Publishing the Full Texts of Pope Francis’s Daily Homilies

Zenit:

The very great interest aroused by the Pope’s brief homilies in the course of the Masses celebrated every  morning in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, poses and continues to pose  often the question  from different parts  on the possibility to access such celebrations or such homilies fully and not through the syntheses published every day by Vatican Radio and L’Osservatore Romano.

The question is understandable and has been taken several times into consideration and made the object of profound reflection, and merits a clear answer. First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind the character that the Holy Father himself attributes to the morning celebration of the Mass at Saint Martha’s.

It is a Mass with the presence of not a small group of faithful (generally more than 50 people) but whose character of familiarity the Pope intends to preserve. Because of this, despite the requests received, he has asked explicitly that it not be transmitted live on video or audio.

As regards to the homilies, they are not given on the basis of a written text, but spontaneously, in Italian, a language the Pope knows very well, but it isn’t his mother tongue. Hence, an “integral” publication would necessarily entail a transcription and a rewriting of the text on several points, given that the written form is different from the oral, which in this case is the original form chosen intentionally by the Holy Father. In short, there would have to be a revision by the Holy Father himself, but the result would be clearly “something else,” which is not what the Holy Father intends to do every morning.

After careful reflection, therefore, it was decided that the best way to make the richness of the Pope’s homilies accessible to a wider public, without altering their nature, is to publish an ample synthesis, rich also in original quoted phrases that reflect the genuine flavor of the Pope’s expressions. It is what L’Osservatore Romano is committed to doing every day, whereas Vatican Radio, on the basis of its characteristic nature, offers a briefer synthesis, but accompanied also with some passages of the original recorded audio, as well as CTV which offers a  video-clip corresponding to one of the inserted audios published by Vatican Radio.

It is necessary to insist on the fact that, in the whole of the Pope’s activity, the difference is carefully preserved between the various situations and celebrations, as well as the different levels of commitment of his pronouncements. Thus, on the occasion of public celebrations or activities of the Pope, broadcast live on television or radio, the homilies or addresses are transcribed and published in full. On the occasion of more familiar and private celebrations, the specific character of the situation is respected, of the spontaneity and familiarity of the Holy Father’s expressions. Hence the chosen solution respects first of all the will of the Pope and the nature of the morning celebration and at the same time it enables a wide public to access the principal messages that the Holy Father offers the faithful also in this circumstance.

He is preaching extemporaneously.

 

Common Myths about Preaching

In the Anglican Journal:

Myths abound in our culture. The field of homiletics is no exception. Everyone who goes to church regularly has benefited from thousands of hours of sermon preparation. But we are also the recipients of a number of common misconceptions that greatly reduce the power of all those hours of Sunday morning preaching. Consider these six myths.

The first myth: sermons are largely irrelevant in today’s world. Many pastors have been heard to say, “I don’t know what I preached on last Sunday. How is anyone else supposed to remember?” The implication is that preaching has little more value than a pep talk. Fortunately, this is not the experience of many people. I have done surveys of sermon recall following dynamic deliveries. Ninety per cent of those in attendance remembered the basic message after one week, and fifty per cent after six weeks. Some people even speak of homilies from years ago that blessed them with exactly what they needed at that time. Clergy and lay people need to know that when parishioners come back week after week, it is because they experience many sermons as vehicles of blessing for personal growth in faith and life.

The second myth is particularly applicable for Anglicans. William Vaughan Jenkins and Heather Kayan published a fascinating piece of homiletic research, “Sermon Responses and Preferences in Pentecostal and Mainline churches, in the Journal of Empirical Theology.
Three conclusions from their research stand out. First, “The data showed that Anglicans desired significant intellectual content…compared to Pentecostal members.”  Second, “Participants from both churches responded to sermons in a predominantly emotional way.”  Third, members of “both churches wanted to hear sermons on grace and forgiveness” above all other topics. Despite our preference for cognitive material, we clearly judge sermons by their emotional appeal, and prefer homilies on personal faith issues. It is a myth that the sermon must be aimed at people’s heads rather than equally at the mind and the heart…

Read on here.

 

Secrets Your Pastor Can’t Share in a Sermon

An interesting list:

…. here is a list of some of the things your pastor may (or may not) wish… he could say. No doubt… he has their own list. If you listen well, you might just see “between the lines.”

1)      You know how your doctor, lawyer and dentist had to complete years of grueling training and had to face numerous credentialing bodies before practicing her or his profession? Me too. In most cases I have completed a four-year undergraduate degree, a three-year professional degree, completed internships and clinical training. So when you assume I’m an idiot who just doesn’t understand, I’m gritting my spiritual teeth and remembering Christ’s humility. I’m smiling, but only on the outside.

2)      Your offering is not a tip for a good sermon, nor are you paying for services rendered. Your stewardship, bringing your tithes and offerings to the community in which you worship, is a spiritual practice that comes right out of scripture. The people Jesus taught and healed lived in grinding poverty. And then there were the taxes, enforced by a brutal occupation army. Remember Matthew the Tax Collector and all those centurions running around? They weren’t there for a parade. Yet Jesus still presumed the Hebrew practice of tithing. Failure to give appropriately is a spiritual problem. I know, and I am praying for you.

3)      You probably think I only work an hour a week, because that is how often you see me. But that one hour a week took hours of preparation. I also managed to squeeze in several committee meetings, visited several people who were sick or homebound, and had to call the plumber and the dumpster company. I also represented the church at a civic function, and took three long phone calls telling me last week’s sermon was “too political” because I pointed out that Jesus insisted we care for the poor. It’s been a busy week, but I kept it down to under sixty hours, so that’s good, right?

4)      Oh, and about Sunday morning… I have been “on,” like rock concert “on,” all morning. I’m smiling and being social, but I’m actually fried. (One list described this as being “Beyonce at a concert on” and  appeared  in the Dirty Sexy Ministry blog by The Rev. Laurie Brock and  The Rev. Mary Koppel. I’m not very Beyonce, so I’ve changed the  reference slightly…). You know that important thing you needed to tell me as you shook my hand and headed off to brunch? I forgot it, along with the important things eight other people told me. Sorry, I didn’t mean to, but you better write it down, send it in an email, or leave me a message for when I get back in the office. I think it is important because you think it is important, but I’ve already forgotten it.

5)      I work for God. I know it sounds insane, but that’s it, flat out. Every other level of authority, bishop, vestry or church council, is just middle management. I didn’t accept this call to make money. I accepted it because I couldn’t say “no” to God any longer. That means I’m not always going to preach what you want to hear. Sometimes I’m going to challenge you, in fact, sometimes I’m going to piss you off. I don’t do it for fun. I do it because Jesus told us this following thing was going to be hard, and that we needed to do it with a good team behind us. And I’m on your team by choice. If I stop challenging you, you’ll know that I am either exhausted or scared. Neither is good for you or the church you love.

6)      Speaking of scared, I’d like to keep my job. I may have a spouse working in the community, kids in the local schools, and I most certainly have student loans that will follow me to the grave. It’s a razor’s edge up here, trying to please God and middle management and every person sitting in the pews. I need your prayers, and possibly a good therapist…

7)      I care more about the regulars. I know I’m not supposed to, but I do. You know, the one’s who show up in the pouring rain, there for every fund raiser and Bible study. When a perfect stranger shows up demanding the rites of the church and treating me like I’m an unfortunate prop in their personal movie, it’s a problem. She may be your granddaughter, but she hasn’t been inside of a church, except as a bridesmaid, in years. She may promise to raise that child as a Christian, but you and I both know she’s not going to get up on Sunday morning. I’m having serious theological qualms about this, I’m just not telling you.

8)      When you insist on “the way we do things in this church,” I’m wondering when you stopped worshiping a living God and started worshiping a building and its resident bureaucracy. Give me half a chance, and I’ll help you drop the average age of worshipers and give this church a future. Many thousands of churches close every year. This doesn’t have to be one of them. But it’s your choice. When you are ready to look forward instead of backward, I’ll be there to lead the way. That is, after all, what you keep telling me I’m supposed to do.

9)      Finally, I am human. Really. That nasty comment you made on your way out the door? It hurt. And wasn’t very Christian. But I forgive you, and still love you, because that’s how I roll.

The whole piece here.

 

Twitter Christmas Sermons for Anglican Bishops

What’s next?!

Britain’s senior Anglican bishops will be tweeting their Christmas Day sermons for the first time this year.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the archbishop-designate, as well as clergy and congregations around the UK, will be celebrating the birth of Jesus in a campaign making use of social media.

Worshippers in the Church’s 16,000 parishes are being encouraged to tweet on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The Archbishops’ Council said it was a chance to spread Christmas “good news”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, his soon-to-be successor the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu will be tweeting.

They are likely to tweet from carol, crib and midnight services, before carrying on into Christmas morning when the highlights of the sermons at Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster and Durham Cathedral will be tweeted.

The campaign will use the hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist.

Rev Arun Arora, of the Archbishops’ Council, said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for parishes to take the good news of the first Christmas out of churches and into people’s lives and homes.”

 

Now I Sell Jesus Christ…

Canadian priest’s unorthodox evangelization drawing people to the pews.

Over at The Deacon’s Bench:

Details, from the Catholic Register:

A financial analyst turned priest, Fr. Mario Salvadori is marketing an unorthodox and unapologetic formula of evangelization — and youth are flocking to it.

Salvadori, the only priest at Thornhill’s St. Joseph the Worker parish, jokes that he has “more degrees than a thermometer.” He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a master’s degree in theology and a master’s in business administration. Before he was a priest, Salvadori was a businessman. In many ways, he still is.

“I used to be able to sell a glass of water to a drowning man,” he said. “Now I sell Jesus Christ.”

His congregation in this Toronto suburb seems to be buying it.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Vlad Mamaradlo, the lay minister Salvadori hired to work with youth. Mamaradlo said every Mass is standing room only. “Even the foyer is full.”

And in the five years since Salvadori joined the parish, he’s paid off a $1.3-million renovation and $600,000 more off the mortgage.

Salvadori’s success stems from his approach to Mass. For him, evangelization is no different than marketing. “It’s just a different word,” he said. He and Mamaradlo look at Catholicism as a product they are selling. Something that, they say, the Church has failed to sell.

“In society, people are given options,” Mamaradlo said, “so let’s give them options.”

What Salvadori has given them is a refreshing twist on the traditional Mass. When he ordered the church renovation back in 2009, he made sure it would accommodate his style for delivering just that.

“We’re competing against 60-inch TVs, iPods and every other stimulation that’s out there,” Mamaradlo said.

So, Salvadori brought the technology to Mass. Every homily, his laptop is plugged into the pulpit, at the ready to bring up a clip on the two huge screens on either side of him.

He invites guest speakers and tackles current and controversial topics that many priests tend to shy away from — topics that weigh heavily on everyday life. One homily he delivered in May included a clip of U.S. President Barack Obama speaking about gay marriage. That homily has collected more than 300 views on YouTube as have some of his other videos posted on the site.

There are other options too, opportunities to connect with the congregation outside the now lessthan-traditional construct of Mass. There are trips downtown to feed the homeless, youth groups, parish events, even retreats in the United States that young people can sign up for.

Read more.

 

Priest Deported from Zambia over Homily

Cath News:

Zambian authorities have deported a Rwandese Catholic priest after he was detained for two days and questioned for preaching about poverty and justice for the poor during a Mass, according to a Catholic News Service report on NCR Online.

Edgar Lungu, minister of home affairs, confirmed that Father Viateur Banyangandora, pastor of the parish in Lundazi, Zambia, was sent to his homeland on August 1. He declined to say why the priest, 40, was deported.

“Father Banyangandora’s conduct was found to be a danger to peace and good order in Zambia,” Lungu said.

Zambian church officials had no immediate comment on the deportation.

Father Banyangandora was picked up at his residence by police on July 30, and taken to Lusaka, the Zambian capital, for questioning, said Father Evan Sakala, the parish’s parochial vicar.

Father Sakala explained that police pointed to comments that Father Banyangandora made in which he castigated the government over its handling of an impasse between cotton growers and cotton ginners.

He said the authorities apparently considered the comments capable of inciting people to rise against the government.

The following statement has been released by the Church regarding the deportation:

A Statement to Catholics on the deportation, by the Zambian Government, of Fr. Viateur Banyangandora to Rwanda

To be read in all Catholic Parishes of Chipata Diocese

DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED (John 14:1)

On 12 August 2012

1. To Priests, Religious Sisters, Brothers and the laity of Chipata Diocese. To all Catholics and men and women of goodwill in Zambia!

2. Let me from the outset express my deep appreciation to all of you who have sent messages of solidarity to me and to the Diocese of Chipata on the unfortunate deportation from Zambia of our beloved Parish Priest of Lundazi Catholic Church, Fr. Viateur Banyangandora by the Zambian Government. I am particularly grateful to messages of solidarity from my Brother Bishops in the various Catholic Dioceses of Zambia.

3. I first learnt of the abduction of Fr. Viateur on Monday, the 30th July around 17:00hrs when he, himself phoned me. He asked for permission to meet me in Chipata before proceeding to Lusaka where he was being taken. I met him at Chipata Police Station where I had a brief chat with him. He told me that the security officers who took him did not clearly explain to him the reasons for his arrest except that it was in connection with Sunday Homily in which he spoke about cotton prices. He assured me that he never attacked government in any way. His message was about the have sharing with the have nots as the readings of the day were saying. On the day before his abduction, Fr. Viateur spoke passionately about the plight and poverty of his parishioners and the people of Lundazi. He was exercising his prophetic ministry as any Catholic priest would and should (2Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15). He shared this with me in the presence of police officers.

4. I asked him as to whether he had eaten something before leaving Lundazi to which he said no. We then prepared something for him to eat. After his meal, he was on that very night driven to Lusaka. I informed Bishop Benjamin Phiri who was by then in Lusaka and Monsignor Joseph at the Nuntiature about this issue and asked them to pursue the matter and establish two things: (1) Why he was picked and (2) his destination because the Commissioner and her deputy here in Chipata expressed ignorance about the whole thing. They said that they were simply obeying orders from Lusaka.

5. In Lundazi, I am reliably informed that Fr. Viateur was interrogated on Monday 30th July, 2012 by various officials, including the District Commissioner (a politician!). Fr. Viateur was later that day brought to Chipata where he was further interrogated by a combined team of Immigration, Police and Office of the President (OP) agents. During his interrogation and traumatising ordeal, he was not availed a lawyer and not a single diocesan official was present nor notified of Fr. Viateur’s arrest. Without being charged, Fr. Viatuer was later that very evening, driven to Lusaka in the night. From then on there is a black-out of information. Where was Fr. Viateur taken? Was he beaten, tortured? Was he being fed? What did they do about his Diabetic medicine? His BP medicine? What really did the State do to Fr. Viateur? We will need answers. What crime did Fr. Viateur really commit? Has preaching the Gospel in a so-called Christian Nation become a crime?

6. When Fr. Viateur was being held by the security wings, my colleagues and I at the Diocesan administration of Chipata Diocese made several and frantic attempts to secure the release of Fr. Viateur. We spoke to politicians, heads of the various security wings both in Chipata and in Lusaka. In most cases the people we spoke to were tight-lipped and did not want to give us any information. Most of them, their overzealousness notwithstanding, were clearly afraid for their jobs. All in all, we did not get a satisfactory answer from anyone we spoke to on the Tuesday of 31 July 2012. I personally even phoned and spoke to the Republican President on the issue. He only promised that he would get back to me..

7. In a desperate move, and working with our staff at the Catholic Secretariat in Lusaka, we engaged a lawyer, Mr. S. Mambwe and associates to comb all Lusaka Police cells and find Fr. Viateur. All was in vain. We have been kept in the dark about the safety and the whereabouts of Fr. Viateur for four days until the announcement after the deportation by the Zambian Government on the evening of Thursday 2nd August 2012 by the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Edgar Lungu who finally confirmed, through the media, of his deportation from Zambia to Rwanda. The reasons given were that our beloved priest was deported for violating the laws of Zambia and that his conduct was found to be a danger to peace and good order in Zambia contrary to Section 39(2) of the Immigration and Deportation Act, No. 18 of 2010. Even after this confirmation, there was no courtesy on the part of government to inform me about the plight of our priest. I too, heard it through the media.

8. To the parishioners and people of Lundazi. You have been unjustly deprived of your pastor. As your Shepherd, I grieve with you at this great injustice that has been done to one of our own by our Government. We all know and have lived with Fr. Viateur. He is a good priest and a man of peace and integrity. No amount of explanation will ever convince us that he would behave in a manner that would cause a breach of peace of this country. Despite this injustice done to him, I still appeal to you all to remain calm and peaceful.

9. Fr. Viateur was ordained in 2004 and thus he became our priest. He became a priest of Chipata Diocese. He chose to remain in Chipata as one of the diocesan priests till his death.
10. I, like the rest of the members of the Catholic Church, are still in a state of shock that such a thing can happen to him and government does not care to explain as to why he was abducted, where he was taken. We urge the government to seriously consider revoking the deportation order for the sake of unity.

11. I further wish to remind the Patriotic Government (PF) that; You were voted into government on a popular platform of correcting the injustices of the past and entrenching good governance and a democratic culture where the rule of law would reign supreme. The manner in which Fr. Viateur was abducted and deported has not only perplexed us but has shocked us to the bone. We never thought we would see the day in this current government when the freedom of expression, let alone at the pulpit, would be criminalized in Zambia. We earnestly urge the government to address the real issues that are today affecting the poor people.

12. Notwithstanding the fact that Fr. Viateur holds a Rwandan passport, his human and constitutional rights have been grossly violated by the state. The way he has been treated flies in the face of natural justice. He was not given opportunity to be heard; he was not allowed legal representation of his choice and he was detained in secret location.

13. To the priests of the diocese, religious men and women, parishioners of Lundazi and Catholics in general, I appeal for calm. It may take one week, one month or many years but we will not rest until justice and truth are served in this matter. We believe that justice and truth will be served one day! Fr. Viateur will one day return to us.

14. A special appeal to our Catholic priests: Do not be intimidated by anyone. You were ordained to preach the Gospel and this must be done even in the face of persecution. In doing so, you will be carrying out the prophetic role of being the conscience of society. As Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both Soul and body in Gehena” Matt. 10:28. No one shall be allowed to silence our priests.

15.In conclusion, I commend you all to pray for Fr. Viateur Banyangandora, his family and also the Rwandan refugee community resident in Zambia. In the January 2012 Pastoral letter, we the Catholic Bishops highlighted the plight facing the Rwandan refugee community in Zambia. Could the deportation of Fr. Viateur signal the start of worse things to come for this community and for our priests? Only God knows.

United in prayer, for the unity of our Diocese and beloved country, Zambia.

“That they have life and life in abundance” (John 10:10)

Rt. Rev. George Cosmas Zumaile Lungu

Bishop of Chipata Diocese

c.c. Most Rev. Ignatius Chama, Archbishop of Kasama Archdiocese and ZEC President.

c.c. Most Rev. Telespore G. Mpundu, Archbishop of Lusaka

c.c. Most Rev. Julio Murat, Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia and Malawi

c.c. Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri, Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata Diocese.

c.c. Rt. Rev. Bishop of Ruengeni Diocese, Rwanda.

 

Msgr Jeffery Steenson on Becoming Men and Women of Communion

At the California Ordination and Reception:

Thank you to Bishop Brown and Bishop Flores for your presence and support, as our brothers and sisters are brought into full communion through the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and as Deacon Andrew Bartus is ordained to the sacred order of priest.  The Ordinariate depends on these collegial relationships with the local diocese, and I thank you all for your enthusiastic support for this work, so close to the heart of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

Perhaps you will allow me to take a moment to breath deeply the air of this holy place.  One weekday morning some 20 years ago, I came from a nearby conference and sat quietly in this place to pray.  The breezes were blowing through the windows, the birds were singing, and I asked Fr. Junipero Serra for a prayer.  I was struggling with a vocational decision, whether to stand for an ecclesial office in the Episcopal Church.  It would have meant years of conflict in an ecclesial community undergoing profound changes.  And the answer that I was given here that day?  Be careful to do nothing that might take you further away from full communion with the Catholic Church.  You want this mission church to be your church: to be incorporated in its faith and life.  I cannot begin to tell you what a joy it is for me to be a part of this holy work today.

On this feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, who carried the Gospel to lands far off, as blessed Junipero Serra did here, this desire for authentic apostolic life continues to move the hearts of Christian people.  For those who are not in communion with the Catholic Church, this desire for apostolicity is certainly present as well — it just needs to be awakened and nurtured.  This important element in the mission of the Ordinariate is part of Pope Benedict’s vision for the new evangelization.

In our second reading, Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus to encourage them: because of your faith in Christ and the Cross, you have been given the gift of communion.  You really belong now!  “So you no longer are strangers and sojourners … you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors.  You are citizens like all the saints, members of God’s household” (Eph. 2:19).  By grace you have been included in this house of salvation, whose firm foundation rests on the eternity of the blessed Trinity; its cornerstone Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who holds everything together; the stones of its walls made up of the Prophets and Patriarchs and the Apostles and the Saints.  This house of salvation stands, an impregnable fortress, for all of time; it is anchored in the mystery of God’s being; it reaches out to welcome all who seek to make it their home.  We call it the Catholic Church.

The church father Marius Victorinus (Rome’s most famous convert) commented on how St. Paul cleverly changed the tense of the verbs in this lesson to make it an exhortation to the Ephesians.  They have not yet fully entered into this unity, but are still being built up, “growing into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21).  This is to put the dynamic in Catholic life: we zealously make it our aim to continue on this journey to full communion, the destination being the blessed Trinity, and our companions along the way all who bear the name Christian.  Thus we rejoice over this gift of communion, but we must remember also its obligations.

There is a remarkable passage in Pope John Paul II’s great letter, Pastores dabo vobis (43), which serves as the foundation for the formation of priests.  I offer this to our brother Andrew, who is to be ordained a priest.  But I invite all who are coming to full communion this morning to let these words speak to them:

“In order that his ministry may be humanly as credible and acceptable as possible, it is important that the priest should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity.”  He is called “… to be a ‘man of communion.’  This demands that the priest not be arrogant, or quarrelsome, but affable, hospitable, sincere in his words and heart, prudent and discreet, generous and ready to serve, capable of opening himself to clear and brotherly relationships and of encouraging the same in others, and quick to understand, forgive and console.”

Pope John Paul went on to suggest that we should consider these words from St. Paul as a seminary in a verse, so to speak:  “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

These words, of course, are meant for all of us.  And in them we can see the challenge of becoming men and women of communion.  At so many points in our common life we encounter forces and attitudes which have the effect of dividing God’s people.  Because of sin, it is all to easy to fall into those habits and behaviors which are completely antithetical to the blessed, priceless gift of communion that we celebrate this morning.  You know, dear brothers and sisters, that it is by grace we have come to this moment.  Our hearts are full of joy and thanksgiving.  But let us be careful of each step we take, from this time forward, so that our lives will bear witness to this gift of unity.  Always remember the Church, this household of faith.  Do your part to build her up and guard her unity. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome to your new home!

Now, on the occasion: Unusual Mass Turns Anglicans Catholic:

Nearly 500 years after the Church of England broke away from Roman Catholicism, a small group of Episcopalians returned to the fold Tuesday during a special Mass at Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano.

As part of a reunification program authorized by Pope Benedict, two Episcopal congregations and a married Anglican priest were welcomed into the Catholic faith during the service, which was led by Bishop Tod Brown.

The Anglican churches, Blessed John Henry Newman of Santa Ana and Vista-based Saint Augustine of Canterbury, are now organized in “ordinariates,” geographic regions similar to a Catholic diocese.

In addition, Anglican priest Andrew Bartus was officially ordained as a Catholic priest Tuesday, even though he is married and has a child. Like others joining the Catholic Church across the nation, his congregation will maintain distinctive elements of Anglican practices.

All told, about 70 members of both congregations were confirmed as Catholics at the ceremony.

“What a joy it is for me to be a part of this holy work today,” Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson told the crowd. Referring to the New Testament’s book of Ephesians, he said the newcomers were “no longer sojourners or travelers … you are citizens, like all the saints, members of God’s household.”

In the audience, Fred and Barbara Wood of Oceanside said they couldn’t wait for the times to catch up to them. They recently left the Episcopal Church earlier – where Fred was a deacon – and joined St. Margaret, a Catholic parish in Oceanside. They made the trip to San Juan because they knew many of the newly confirmed and wanted to show their support, they said.

With everyone together again, it felt “absolutely” like home, Fred Wood said.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI paved the way for reunification with willing Episcopalians. The U.S. Ordinariates were formed at the beginning of the year, and Tuesday’s Mass was the first of its kind for Orange and San Diego counties.

Although the media have reported conservative Episcopalians are joining Catholics as a response to liberal policies, such as allowing gay bishops and female priests, there was no talk of such issues at Mission Basilica on Tuesday.

“I’m here to support my mother,” said Marie McCarron of Vista, who belongs to St. Patrick Catholic Church in Carlsbad. Her mom, Irene Gilmore, had been Episcopalian. “It makes me glad we’re now the same faith. We’re blessed. I feel blessed.”

The coming together was also poignant for Msgr. Arthur Holquin of Mission Basilica.

“I was ordained in 1974, just 10 years after the [Second Vatican Council],” Holquin said. The great goal of the council was to realize the Lord’s dream in the Last Supper that all might be one.”

There are plenty of photos here.

Congratulations and blessings to Fr Andrew Bartus!

Funeral Homily

By a Father whose son committed suicide…

View this document on Scribd

 

Ordination of the Very Reverend Fr Harry Entwistle, Photo and Homily

Via the Archdiocese of Perth:

The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, ordained to the Priesthood on Friday 15 June in St Mary’s Cathedral Perth the Very Reverend Harry Entwistle.

Above: Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, Bishop Peter Elliott, Fr Harry Entwistle, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe and Bishop Donald Sproxton

Immediately prior to the Ordination Mass, approximately 40 members of the Traditional Anglican Community were received into the Catholic Church by Monsignor Kevin Long. These and many of their friends were also present at the ordination Mass. Fr Entwistle was himself received into the Church at St Charles Seminary last Sunday, where he was also ordained a Deacon by Archbishop Costelloe.

The significance of the ordination Mass was added to when the Most Rev Peter Elliott rose after Communion and read the Decree of the Erection of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, under the patronage of St Augustine of Canterbury, issued by the Congregation of Doctrine and Faith on the 15 June 2012.

Bishop Elliott was particularly pleased to be present and read the Decree of Erection as he has worked assiduously as the project delegate for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to prepare the way for the erection of the Ordinariate.

After the announcement of the Ordinariate, Archbishop Costelloe was pleased to read a Decree from Pope Benedict XVI announcing that the Very Reverend Father Harry Entwistle had been appointed the Ordinary of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. This announcement was greeted with great joy by the new members of the Ordinariate. Fr Entwistle will be based in Perth but will be responsible for the Ordinariate throughout Australia.

In a media statement prior to the Ordination, Archbishop Costelloe said he welcomed the announcement of the establishment of the Ordinariate for groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining elements of their own Anglican patrimony.

Archbishop Costelloe said, “Those people from the Anglican tradition who have decided to avail themselves of the opportunity afforded to them by Pope Benedict XV1 have done so after a long period of careful and prayerful discernment.”

“The Catholic community will welcome them with great joy and generosity of spirit. We look forward to fully sharing with them the richness of our faith. At the same time we hope to gain from the witness of their own faith and the beauty of their liturgical and spiritual traditions, which they will bring with them.”

And the homily:

+ + +

Homily of the Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB

on the Occasion of the Ordination of the Very Rev Harry Entwistle

 

On the 11^th of November, 2009, Sr Maria Boulding, a Benedictine nun of Stanbrook Abbey in England, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Sr Maria was a renowned writer and spiritual director whose life and work have touched many people.

In 1982 Sr Maria edited a collection of essays in which monks and nuns of the English Benedictine Congregation shared the story of their journey into and in religious life. For many of them it was the story of a journey into communion with the Catholic Church first of all, and then, once at home there, into a new and deeper experience of faith through their commitment to the monastic life.

One of those stories, written by Dom Alan Rees, concludes with a beautiful prayer, part of which I would like to share with you this evening. While it is a prayer which simply reflects one man’s experience of God’s presence in his life, tonight, on this historic occasion, I suspect that it might catch up the thoughts of Harry and his wife, Jean, and the thoughts of the people of Harry’s community who themselves have been received tonight into full communion with the Catholic Church and who for that reason are rejoicing both for themselves and for Harry. Perhaps too it will enable all of us to reflect on the strange but faithful ways of God who calls us into life in ways that we don’t always anticipate and certainly don’t always understand.

Father, you have always been there, even from my earliest years, gently leading me on. You have always been there, Lord, leading me out of darkness into your own wonderful light; from ignorance into truth; from the isolation of self into the community of love.

Despite my wanderings, despite my complaining, despite my unwillingness to go forward, you have never deserted me. You have always remained faithful in the midst of my infidelity.

In the day time of my joy, your hidden brightness, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, has gone before me and drawn me after it; in the night-time of my isolation, despondency and fear, your pillar of fire, the refining Spirit, has been there working in my heart, thawing my iciness and purifying me.

But, Father, pilgrim that I am, I still wander into the byways of pride, self-pity and fear. Forgive me as I turn my eyes back to you. Sharpen my awareness of your Son, Jesus, my Brother, who takes me by the hand and pulls me along in my reluctance.

Lord God, how thankful I am that you are continually searching for me; how thankful I am that your grace prompts me to recognise you and to give myself to you even in my imperfect way. Lord Jesus, how thankful I am that your love, stronger than death, will never let me go.

As we gather tonight in the Cathedral to witness, and even more to be a vital part, of this extraordinary moment as our friend, brother and, for many of you, your Father in God, receives the precious gift of priestly orders within the Catholic Church, I am sure that Harry can echo every word of this prayer. The mystery of God’s strange ways continues to unfold for Harry as he opens himself yet again, as he has done so often before, to the insistent call of God, of Christ, to “come follow me.” After all the call to the priesthood is one that Harry first heard long ago, and one to which he responded when he stepped forward to be ordained as a priest within the Anglican communion in 1964, forty eight years ago. Who knows how many people’s lives have been transformed by God’s Holy Spirit, working through Harry’s ministry as an Anglican priest and later as a bishop? Tonight, as Harry receives the gift of the priesthood within the Catholic Church, both he and we give thanks for his many years of faithful service and ministry within the Anglican tradition. We give thanks, too, for the ways in which the beauty of Anglican spirituality and worship has nourished and formed Harry and enabled him to hear and respond to the voice of God, calling him to this new path and this new ministry. Father, you have always been there, even from Harry’s earliest years, gently leading him on.

For many years Harry was a prison chaplain, first in England and later here in Perth. That ministry, I’m sure, brought Harry many moments of struggle and challenge but hopefully too many moments of joy and gratitude as he saw God’s grace bringing hope into hopeless situations. This is the life of every priest and it has been yours, Harry, for many years, as it will continue to be in the years ahead in the new and demanding ministry you take up tonight. Father, in the day time of Harry’s joy your hidden brightness, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, has gone before him and drawn him after it; in the night-time of his isolation, despondency and fear, your pillar of fire has been there working in his heart.

Those moments of joy and of darkness were not restricted to Harry’s life as a prison chaplain. In 2006 Harry again heard the voice of God this time calling him into the Anglican Church of Australia, the Traditional Anglican Communion, where he was ordained a bishop and appointed Western Regional Bishop. It was, I suspect, a decision formed in the crucible of confusion and suffering, as well as hope. You must have wondered, Harry, about the strange ways of God yet again upsetting everything and asking of you more, perhaps, than you thought you might be able to give. The decision to say “yes” to God is not one that we make once and then forget about. It is a new decision every day and your life has been marked by a deep conviction that giving your “yes” to God every day is at the very heart of what it means for you to live your life with integrity and faith.

Now in 2012 the Lord has once again invaded your life calling you to let go of so much in order to be able to receive all that he now wants to offer you. Last Sunday you entered into full communion with the Catholic Church just as your community has done tonight. It must have been a bitter-sweet experience for you as I’m sure it is for your brothers and sisters who have joined you tonight. The rich Anglican tradition has formed and nourished you all and has been the home in which you have discovered the beauty and the call of God. It is hard to leave something so cherished, but it is perhaps the genius of Pope Benedict that he has opened a door for you to enter into full communion with Peter, and retain, joyfully and proudly, the Anglican heritage of liturgy and spirituality which you bring as your special gift to us. Lord God, how thankful we are that you are continually searching for us; how thankful we are that your grace prompts us to recognize you and to give ourselves to you even in our imperfect way. Lord Jesus, how thankful we are that your love, stronger than death, will never let us go.

With your ordination as a Catholic priest tonight, Harry, you become the first to be ordained for the new Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, which comes into being today by the will of the Holy Father. The gifts you bring, so many of them formed and nourished by your Anglican tradition, will now be strengthened and deepened through this new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. You will be reshaped by God’s grace so that, even more than in the past, you will be a living sign that Christ is among his people as their good shepherd. As you have for so many years, tonight I simply want to encourage you to continue to keep your eyes fixed on Christ. In the challenges and storms which lie ahead it is he who will reach out his hand, take you by your hand, lead you to safety and calm the storms around and within you, just as he did for Simon Peter as he came to him across the water through the wind and the waves.

We all rejoice as we welcome Jean, your wife, and your community among us and as we welcome you into the brotherhood of the priestly ministry in the Catholic Church. We thank you for your courage, your fidelity and your profound openness to God’s call. We promise to accompany you in the years ahead with our prayers, our affection and our support, and we ask you to remember us each time you come to the altar of God.

We now invited you to step forward with open hands and open heart to receive the wonderful gifts of God.